Arx Picking and Packing modules offer you a wide range of flexibility. You can choose whether to pick your orders in batches; individually; by priority; order type; order number; delivery method and back orders only. If sufficient stock isn’t on the picking face you can set the orders to wait until the stock has been moved there, thus preventing the picker from wasting time by double picking. Whether you are picking orders by batch or individually, Arx will provide the most efficient route to pick your orders. Products can be configured to be picked from different warehouses offering you total flexibility. Drop shipment notes can be produced where suppliers despatch goods directly to your customer. Labels for carriers are produced automatically and avoid wasting time hand writing and re-keying data. When the orders have been picked you can validate the order lines by scanning the product barcodes, the system will warn of any errors or shortfall. Packers scan the packing box barcode to confirm they have despatched it. A manifest is produced and the despatch data transferred onto the carrier’s system. At any one time you can view the total work outstanding for the day, and the pickers’ and packers’ hours available to complete the work, giving you the opportunity to relocate labour: vital if you promise same day despatch.

When a company gets its stock control right, the benefits are enormous: financially efficient stock turn, reduced pick shortages, greater customer service and reduced backorder costs. Arx makes it easier for your staff to manage your stock accurately and reduces the points at which stock errors occur. Computer generated movement lists intelligently prioritise stock to ensure you always have the right amount, in the right place and the right time and can even take into account the type of equipment needed to pick it.

Stock can be kept in multiple sites, warehouses and bins that can be cascaded to form mass, bulk and pick face storage. Stock is moved between locations by computer generated lists optimised by forecast demand for variable pack sizes, bin sizes and live racking. The warehouse modelling functions ensure your picking face is laid out in the most efficient way by taking into account picking frequency, order line distribution, walk distance, replenishment frequency, safety stock and rack types. The stock holding of each item is based on your sales forecast and safety stock. Stock movement is a typical function that the Standard Minute Values module (see Management section) can track and report on.

This is an important aspect of any fulfilment system as it has a crucial role in the financial aspects of purchase invoicing and the customer service standards of quality control and inventory control. Links to purchase orders
ensure the correct manning levels are achieved and the Goods In staff are advised of what is expected. User defined quality control parameters (by supplier and product) determine sampling rates. The goods-in process links to automated purchase invoice matching and advises put away locations with optional tracking barcode label, printed as required.

This module allows you to regularly count intelligently selected stock samples. This can replace the disruptive annual stock take. With various settings you can control how often each item gets counted per week, month, annum and prioritise the items selected based on quantity, value and volume. This is especially helpful when stocks are running low. They are counted and any adjustments made to meet promises to customers.

Arx supports numerous interfaces to the leading carriers for the automating of printing despatch labels without any re-keying, and uses electronic manifest forwarding. No need to fill in endless sheets of paper for the carrier to take with them, which can take hours! Arx prints the carrier’s label at the same time as the despatch stationery. Proof of delivery information is also imported from the carrier’s website straight into your system to ensure that, should a query be raised, the customer service team have all the information at their fingertips. One Safewire client uses an SQL report based on manifest and proof of delivery data to claim a rebate from the carrier for late deliveries.

Arx supports all the Royal Mail services that enable preferential mailing rates to be claimed and thereby reduce the cost to send mailing list selections. The selection can be Mailsorted and output in various options: files (when using a third party mailing houses), printers and directly onto brochures.